This Corvette has been Poisoned by a Viper GTS

True, Corvette C4's are dime a dozen in the market as Chevrolet sold more than 366,000 units through its production cycle that lasted a full thirteen years from 1983 to 1996, but there's something fundamentally wrong with turning a 'Vette into a…Dodge Viper GTS – mind you, it has been done before.

This Viperette, which mimics the looks of the Phase II model produced from 1996 to 2002, was found on Craigslist Miami with an asking price of $10,999 (equal to €8,000). And if you're wondering, a quick online search showed that used car prices for the original 1996-2002 Dodge Viper GTS range average around $35,000 to $45,000.

The seller's replica car ad states the following:

"Here is your chance to own a very cool Dodge Viper GTS replica built on a C4 Corvette, finished in all Black Exterior with Silver Racing Stripes. This Viper is powered by a Chevy Tuned Port Injection engine and a 700r4 automatic transmission. Some Original parts were used like, emblems, lights, mirrors and wheels. Features Racing Seats, power windows, door poppers, as well as an Alpine detachable CD player, Kicker Woofers & a Memphis Belle M Amp ($1,000 value). Needs complete tune-up..."

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Quiz: This Ferrari F430 Scuderia Replica is Based on the… [Answer]

We love ourselves some auto-quizzes and admittedly, this author had to dig deep into the details of this fine replica of a Ferrari F430 Scuderia to pin down the marque and type of model that it rests upon.

The reason why it's not easy to tell the donor car is in this case is because, the exterior is fully covered (a more experienced eye may be able to tell that the roof is a bit off compared to the original), while the same applies to the interior, which is something that we don't often see on replica cars.

Nonetheless, there are a number of telling cues that reveal its origins. All you have to do is look for them in the picture gallery that we've added below and share your findings in the comments section after the break.

Answer: The replica is based on...let the drum roll begin...a European market Ford Cougar coupe with a 2.0-liter inline-four engine (the same model was sold in the United States from 1999 to 2002 as the Mercury Cougar)

Photo Credits: eBay

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What in the World is This?

Are you up to a guessing challenge? If you're reading this, then we'll assume the answer is yes. So, some of the questions we have been pondering after looking at these two photos of the same car are, 'What exactly is it, and what's it trying to resemble?', and 'Who made it and why?'.

Leaving the second set of enquiries aside, we came up with two candidates for the base model, the first being the Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste from the mid-1970s, early 1980s (also sold as the Chrysler Lancer in Australia, and Plymouth and Dodge Arrow in North America), and the other a Nissan Skyline C110 from the '70s.

As far as what it's supposed to look like, well, the front seems to incorporate a Mitsubishi Galant snout, while at the back, we're not sure if it's supposed to resemble the last, dark plastic days of the third generation Corvette, a 1980s-2000s Nissan Skyline GT-R, or something entirely different.

Heck, have a go at it for yourself in the comments section below the break.

Photos via Top Gear Philippines (via Edward Marvin Abueg) , Mitsubishi Celeste and Nissan Skyline pics via Wikipedia (1) , (2)

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Past Beauties: 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer Concept Car

One of the concept cars displayed at the 1956 General Motors Motorama show was the Pontiac Club de Mer, a futuristic roadster that was designed by Paul Gillian under the supervision of famed GM designer and engineer Harley Earl. This particular study and other GM “Futuristic Dream Cars” of the time, pointed the way to cars of the future - or at least they tried to.

GM built only one Pontiac Club de Mer (albeit a non-running mockup), but unfortunately it had it destroyed in late 1958. There was also a 1/4 scale model which survives to this day. However, there is another life-sized Pontiac Club de Mer in mint shape and fully functional.

Built by custom car expert Marty Martino, who specializes in concept car recreations, the Pontiac Club de Mer was brought back to life as a replica using the chassis and powertrain of a 1959 Pontiac. The recreation is powered by the 1959 Strato Streak engine mated to the Jetaway Hydro-Matic 4-speed transmission.

The body’s inner structure is all steel and uses the 1959 Pontiac’s inner doors, jambs, cowl sections, hinges and latches, augmented with square tubing. The OEM-style chassis is built using mid-sized Pontiac suspension clips with custom boxed rails.

On top of the steel structure, Martino added an authentically sculpted fiberglass outer body that replicates the original design by Pontiac’s Paul Gillian. The car features many unique details specifically crafted for it, including bumpers, lights and interior components.

It is painted in the concept’s original and unique Cerulean Blue paint, while the interior features custom-built leather-covered bucket seats and chrome finish on the one-off trim parts. The car took three years to build and was sold at a 2009 Barrett-Jackson auction for $110,000 (€80,980).

By Dan Mihalascu

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Mazda…Dino 246 GT Replica Looking for a New Home at the Price of a 370Z

Both the Ferrari Dino (well, actually, it was aptly called Dino as it was envisioned as a sub-brand for Ferrari's lesser models) and the original Mazda MX-5 or Miata are special cars in their own unique way that have secured a place in automotive history.

So, a car that combines the two should be pretty awesome ride ticking plenty of boxes, right? Well, let's just say that it all depends on your definition of "awesome".

Let's see what the current owner of this Ferrari Dino GT replica built around a 1993 Mazda MX-5 has to say about it:

"Unbelievable build, Must See! Turns heads pictures taken, Horns Honk, thumbs go up what an attention getter it is, You will feel like you hit the Lotto when driving this car!!! You will Get The Supercar looks and Reliability of a Mazda and Great Gas mileage of almost a hybrid..."

Still not convinced? The Diniata is said to have only "88k original certified miles (although the working speedometer shows 39K)". It might be a Mazda in heart, but the eBay asking price has a faint Ferrari scent to it at $29,000 (€21,400).

We're just throwing this out there if you're considering it - while it is true that original Dino's retail for ten times that at around $300,000, you could do yourself a favor and go get a brand new 2014 Nissan 370Z for a few hundred dollars more at $29,900 MSRP.

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